Shoeshine machine with pad dispensing means



Aug. 25, 1964 Filed March 21, l

K. w. ALLEN 3,145,403

SHOESHINE MACHINE WITH PAD DISPENSING MEANS 961 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

KIMBALL W. ALLEN Eva/71% WM ATTORNEYS Aug. 25, 1964 K. w. ALLEN 3,145,403

SHOESH INE MACHINE WITH PAD DISPENSING MEANS Filed March 21, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV EN TOR.

KIMBALL W. ALLEN BY WW ATTOR NEVYS EIE' 3 Aug. 25, 1964 K. w. ALLEN SHOESHINE MACHINE WITH PAD DISPENSING MEANS Filed March 21, 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

KIMBALL W. ALLEN MA:% z W ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,145,403 SHOESHINE MACHINE WITH PAD DISPENSING MEANS Kimball W. Allen, 3181 Turk St., San Francisco, Calif. Filed Mar. 21, 1961, Ser. No. 97,241 7 Claims. (Cl. 15-'4) This invention relates to a coin-operated shoeshine machine and more particularly relates to a'coin-operated shoeshine machine which has rotating brushes for polishing shoes as well as a dispensing device for dispensing wax-impregnated pads for applying wax to the shoes.

Automatic shoeshine' machines have heretofore been proposed. However, such machines have not been fully satisfactory for several reasons. One type of machine employs a rotating brush for applying wax to the shoes. This type of machine is not fully satisfactory for the reason that the wax is applied to a rotating brush and transferred to the shoes. This soon causes the wax applying brush to become encrusted with Wax necessitating frequent cleaning or renewal. Further, with such machines it is diflicult to avoid over-application of wax and the application of wax where it is not desired, such as on the stockings as well as building up wax on the polishing brush. Other machines have been proposed wherein a dauber and a can of wax are provided for use by the customer. However, such daubers, unless carefully treated, soon become completely encrusted with wax and are so stiff that they are unusable. Further, there is a temptation on the part of the customer either to walk off with the dauber or not to replace it in its receptacle so that it dries out. p 4

In accordance with the present invention, these deficiencies are overcome by providing a machine which first dispenses a wax-impregnated pad so that the user can apply wax to his shoes from a completely fresh pad. (The pad per se is the subject of a separate pending patent application and forms no part of the present invention.) After applying wax, the customer initiates the action of rotating brushes which operate for a predeter- M mined timeto polish the shoes. In this manner, the user may take'as much or as little time as desired to apply the wax since the timer is not started until the customer starts it. v

In the drawings forming part of this application:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a machine embodying the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of a pad dispensed by the machine of the present invention.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged side view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1 with a side plate removed, and some of the parts in section, to illustrate the operation of the device.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the lines 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a diagrammatic view of an embodiment of the invention wherein pads impregnated with different types of wax are dispensed.

Turning now to a description of the drawings, the device has been generally designated 7 and has a rectangular housing 9 with uprights 11 and 13 thereon. Mounted between the uprights 11 and 13 and at the front thereof may be a plate 15 which is adapted to contain advertising matter, instructions for use and the like. Preferably the plate 15 is made of a translucent plastic and is back-lighted. Mounted on the housing 9 is a foot rest 17. The housing 9 has a horizontal plate fixed in place which forms a compartment 12 in the top part of the housing. A locked access door 14 is provided in one side of the housing. Mounted for rotation at the front of the box 9 and extending through suitable apertures 19 and 21 are the dual brushes 23 and 25. Each of the "ice dual brushes comprises a single hub with two sets of bristles thereon, with a V-notch 27 between the two sets of bristles, which notch serves as a pulley. A V-belt 29 is passed over the notch 27 to the pulley 31 attached to an electric motor 33. The brushes are mounted on a suitable fixed axle 35'which is attached to the front of housing 9 while the motor 33 is similarly attached to the plate 10 by the brackets 37. In this way there is provided a suitable reduction in speed of the brushes Without the employment of gears. The motor shaft 32 extends from both sides of the motor 33 and each of the pairs of brushes is driven independently. Normally, the machine would carry suitable indicia to show that one set of brushes was for brown shoes while the other was for black. The compartment 12 serves to hold a coin receptacle 16 and also renders the machinery tamper-proof. Further, anchoring bolts may extend from this compartment into a wall or floor so that the device cannot be stolen.

Mounted on the top of housing 9 is a coin-operated switch generally designated 39 having a coin slot 41, a turntable knob 43 and an indicating window 45. The knob 43 is connected to a shaft 47. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 3 and 4, the shaft 47 has a bevel gear 49 and cams 51 and 97 thereon and the shaft extends into a timing clock 53. The cam 51 has a cam follower 55 which is connected to a switch 57. Similarly, cam .97 has a suitable cam follower with a switch 101 associated therewith. A second bevel gear 59 mates with the gear 49 and a flexible shaft 61 extends from gear 59 to a trigger mechanism 63.

The upright 11 has guides 65 therein and contains a plurality of wax-impregnated pads 67. The pads 67 have a backing 69 of a suitable material such as plastic impregnated paper to which is attached an absorbent pad 71 which is impregnated with'a wax. The backing ma terial 69 may be folded upwardly upon itself as at 73 to provide a convenient handle for applying wax. In the stored condition, the handle 73 is folded down to lie fiat against the backing material 69. Directly in front of the upright 11 is a slot 75 through which the pads are dispensed, Mounted under the upright 11 is a pair of sliding members 77 and 79 which are normally biased in the forward direction by means of the springs 81 and 83. These members are adapted to slide on the guide 85. The flexible shaft 61 is attached to the shaft 87 on which are mounted the arms 89 and 91. Extending downwardly from each of the slides 77 and 79 are arms 93 and 95. Thus, as the shaft 87 is rotated through part of a revolution the arm 89 acting against the arm 95 will pull the slide 79 to the rear, allowing a pad to fall in front of the slide and allowing the pad to rest on the member 93. As the shaft 87 continues its rotation, the arm 95 will become disengaged whereupon the spring 81 will cause the slider 79 to return tothe forward position pushing a pad ahead of it Where it can be picked up by the user from the slot '75. Since the gear 59 has twice as many teeth as the gear 49, one pad will be dispensed for each revolution of the shaft 47. When the knob 43 is advanced slightly beyond the pad dispensing position, the cam follower 55 will fall into the slot in the cam 51 closing switch 57 which will serve not only to start the motor 33 which operates the brushes but will also start the timing motor 53. As the shaft 47 continues to turn,

being driven by the timing motor 53, the cam 97 Will also turn. The cam 97 has only a slight notch 99 therein and is provided with a follower acting on switch 101 to which is attached an audible warning device 103. Thus, as the polishing motor has completed about one-half of its operating time, the audible warning 103 will sound, informing the customer that half of the polishing time is up and that it is now time to polish the other shoe.

Instead of the audible warning, the warning device can be visual, as by providing a light, or a combination of visual and audible devices can be employed.

In FIGURE 5, the action of the knob 43 acting upon shaft 47 and the cams 51 and 97, is illustrated. However, in the description thus far given, the earn 103 which is shown in FIGURE has not been utilized since its function is achieved by the mechanical pad ejection mechanism described. In many instances, it is desirable to provide an electric pad ejection mechanism rather than the mechanical one illustrated; further, the electric system lends itself particularly well to a device wherein various types of pads are to be dispensed. Here the cam 1&3 is provided with a notch 105, a cam follower 107 and a switch 109. The switch 109 leads to a single pole, threeposition switch 111 which can be manually turned by the customer. Suitable wiring connects switch 111 to three solenoids 113, 115 and 117 which are respectively associated with the stacks of pads 119, 121 and 123. Normally the pads 119 through 123 would be of different types such as neutral, brown and black. Each ot the solenoids has a pad ejection mechanism 125, 127 and 129 associated therewith so that by turning the switch 111 to the desired position, the customer can have his choice of three different colors of pads. Of course, the switch 111 can be eliminated and only one stack of pads used so that the electric pad dispensing mechanism may be used when it is only desired to dispense one color of wax pads. Likewise, the mechanical system illustrated can be provided with a mechanical linkage so that more than one color pad may be selected by the customer.

In use, the customer merely inserts a coin in the slot 41 and turns the knob 43 until a number 1 appears in the window 45. A pad is then dispensed whereupon the customer can apply wax to his shoes, employing as much time as he desires. After the wax has been applied, the knob 43 is turned until the number 2 appears in the window 45, whereupon the timing mechanism and the motor 33 are started. At about the half-way point in the operation of the brushes, the warning device 103 sounds, indicating to the customer that his time is about half up and that he should now start polishing the other shoe.

It is believed apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a simple yet satisfactory automatic coin-operated shoeshine device.

I claim:

1. A coin-operated shoeshine device comprising in combination, a pad-dispensing device having means for ejecting a single pad at a time, an electrically-operated shoe brush and a coin-operated mechanism, first means connected to said coin operated mechanism and to said pad dispenser and actuated by said coin-operated mechanism whereby a pad is dispensed upon the insertion of a coin and second means connected to said electrically-operated shoe brush and connected to and released from said coinoperated mechanism upon the insertion of a coin whereby said electrically-operated shoe brush can be turned on manually and when so turned on will run for a predetermined length of time.

2. A coin-operated shoeshine device comprising in combination, a means for dispensing pads one at a time, a plurality of electrically-operated shoe brushes, a coinrelease switch, said switch having at least two positions, including a first position to which the switch can be turned manually upon the insertion of a coin, means coupled with said switch and with said pad dispenser means whereby a pad is dispensed when said switch is at said first position, and means connected to said switch and to said electrically-operated shoe polishing brushes whereby the shoe polishing brushes are caused to rotate for a predetermined length of time upon manually turning said switch to the second position.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein an electric timing clock actuates the shoe polishing brushes for a predetermined length of time. i l

4. The device of claim 1 wherein a signal is provided when the brushes have operated for about one-half of the predetermined time.

5. The device of claim 2 wherein said first position actuates a mechanical device to release a pad.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said switch has a solenoid in combination therewith, said solenoid having means thereon to release a pad of wax.

7. The device of claim 2 wherein a selector switch is employed in combination with a plurality of pad-ejection devices, said selector switch having a plurality of positions one of which is operatively connected to each of the i pad ejection devices wherein said switch can be turned to one of a plurality of positions to select one pad ejection mechanism from said plurality.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 910,740 Symonds et a1. Jan. 26, 1909 1,673,030 Weiss June 12, 1928 2,073,124 Stair Mar. 9, 1937 2,723,409 Kluba Nov. 15, 1955 3,022,528 Pagano Feb. 27, 1962 

1. A COIN-OPERATED SHOESHINE DEVICE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION, A PAD-DISPENSING DEVICE HAVING MEANS FOR EJECTING A SINGLE PAD AT A TIME, AN ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED SHOE BRUSH AND A COIN-OPERATED MECHANISM, FIRST MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID COIN OPERATED MECHANISM AND TO SAID PAD DISPENSER AND ACTUATED BY SAID COIN-OPERATED MECHANISM WHEREBY A PAD IS DISPENSED UPON THE INSERTION OF A COIN AND SECOND MEANS CONNECTED TO SAID ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED SHOE BRUSH AND CONNECTED TO AND RELEASED FROM SAID COINOPERATED MECHANISM UPON THE INSERTION OF A COIN WHEREBY SAID ELECTRICALLY-OPERATED SHOE BRUSH CAN BE TURNED ON MANUALLY AND WHEN SO TURNED ON WILL RUN FOR A PREDETERMINED LENGTH OF TIME. 